Chapter 4

“I've been with the Avengers for a while now,” Banner shouted to Ant-Man over the rush of the wind. “In that time I've done a lot of strange things. I've fought alien creatures from space. I've visited other planets and helped defend a city of people who live under the ocean. . . And yet I can honestly say this is one of the strangest things I've ever done.”

Banner was saying this while clutching tightly to Euclid's back. When Ant-Man and Banner realized that the other Avengers weren't able to help, they decided to head back to Central Park to reexamine the infected ants, hoping there would be a way to develop a cure. All the S.H.I.E.L.D. shuttles were currently in use, so Ant-Man suggested they fly on the back of his ant friend.

“You get used to it,” Ant-Man shouted. “Thank you for believing me when no one else did.”

“Sure,” said Banner. “I don't know why the others didn't pay enough attention.”

“I do,” Ant-Man replied. “It's me. I talk to bugs. I shrink. Those aren't really super powers. I mean, they are kind of, I guess. But Thor's a near-immortal Asgardian, Captain America's a living legend Super-Soldier, and Iron Man has more firepower than a small army. Hawkeye and Black Widow don't have powers, but they have years of super-spy experience with S.H.I.E.L.D. And what do I have? Bugs! If I were them, I don't think I'd take me very seriously, either. Let's face it, I'm no big strong hero like the Hulk.”

“You think people look up to the Hulk?” Banner asked sharply. “When I become the Hulk, people only think of me as a monster. The Hulk is a hero and wants to help. But people don't understand that. They run from him, even when he's trying to save them. Everything runs from the Hulk.

“And it's not just when I'm Hulk—it's when I'm Bruce Banner, too,” he continued. “Even when I'm human, some people still think of me as a monster. I went to a conference last month to present some of my research, but no one listened to my presentation. They spent the whole time worrying about making me angry.”

Ant-Man knew what Banner meant. It was difficult being misjudged by people who hadn't gotten to know you yet.

“I started to correspond with some other electronics specialists I met online,” Ant-Man said to Banner. “We traded ideas, brainstormed new inventions, that kind of thing. But when they found out I was a Super Hero, things got awkward. They stopped talking to me. I guess it was all just too strange for them.”

Banner nodded, understanding, but their conversation was interrupted as Euclid came in for a landing. Ant-Man used his Pym Particle gun to shrink himself and Banner, but when they went into the same anthill Ant-Man had investigated a few hours earlier, all the ants were gone.

“That's really strange,” Ant-Man said. “Usually there are at least some ants left to guard the tunnels. It's like this place has been completely abandoned.”

When the two left the anthill and enlarged back to human size, Banner looked around. “Hey, where is everybody?”

Ant-Man saw what Banner meant. When he had been there earlier, the park had been busy, packed with hundreds of people. . . Now there was no one.

“Look at this,” Ant-Man said to Banner, pointing at a picnic blanket that had been abandoned. “The sandwiches are half eaten, as if these people left right in the middle of their lunch.”

“There are some people,” Banner said, spotting across the park a crowd standing with their backs to the heroes. When Ant-Man and Banner got closer, the people turned on them and snarled!

Ant-Man was shocked!

Something was horribly wrong! Everyone in the group had webs of pulsing blue veins bulging out all over their pale-green-tinted skin! Their eyes were a sickly mucus yellow and had no pupils!

“What happened to them?” asked Banner urgently.

“The undead virus! They've been infected!” shouted Ant-Man. “They've become the living undead!”

Suddenly, the whole group of undead jumped at the heroes, growling and snapping their teeth! “This makes me miss hanging out with insects!” Ant-Man shouted as he dodged their bites.